Postribulationism and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 by Mal Couch, Ph.D., Th.D.

[Pages:22]Postribulationism and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

by Mal Couch, Ph.D., Th.D.

Introductions

From the perspective of those of us who hold to a pretribulational rapture, posttribulationism wrecks havoc on the Word of God, and especially the eschatological framework of events that are yet future. Advocates of posttribulationism have to work hard at re-writing what is obvious in prophecy, redefine, and reconfigure the meaning of biblical texts.

This study will attempt to answer the posttribulational arguments concerning the Day of the Lord, its relation to the rapture, and its teaching about the Man of Sin in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

This paper will cover the following:

.Defining Posttribulationism .Posttribulational arguments

Douglas J. Moo Bob Gundry .An exegesis of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 .An analysis of additional passages of Scripture

_________________

Defining Posttribulationism

Ryrie writes that Posttrib

teaches that the Rapture and the Second Coming are facets of a single event that will occur at the end of the Tribulation when Christ returns. The church will be on earth during the Tribulation to experience the events of that period.(Ryrie, 582)

Walvoord describes some of the workings of posttribulationism:

Generally speaking, posttribulationists are content to attack other points of view rather than setting forth their own arguments. Actually the church is never found in any portion of Scripture dealing with the time of the tribulation, and the translation of the church is never mentioned in any passage picturing the return of Christ to set up His kingdom. Posttribulationism is built principally upon the identification of the church with tribulation saints, a conclusion which is without substantiation in Scripture. Posttribulationists cannot cite a single passage where this confusion is justified, and their arguments as a whole have been often refuted. for this reason most thorough-going premillenarians have abandoned the posttribulation position as not being the hope for the rapture of

the church taught in the Scriptures. (TheMillennial Kingdom, 249-50)

Posttrib teaches that the church, comprised of Jews or Gentiles, will go through this terrible period but will be spared and will escape death. The rapture will take place sometime within the tribulation, or at the end. These church saints will go up in the clouds and almost instantly return with Christ to enjoy His kingdom reign. Some who hold the Posttrib view believe that the parents of the millennial population come from the 144,000 witnessing Jews of Revelation 7.

McAvoy says, that from Bob Gundry's writings,

It is difficult to state precisely [his] view concerning the relationship between the church, the outpouring of God's wrath, and the tribulation period. He himself makes no precise summary statement, and in fact seems unable to make up his mind as he vacillates between positions in which are mutually exclusive. For example, does he wrath of God fall anywhere within the tribulation period? On the one hand, Gundry's answer is, no. ... On the other hand, he places the outpouring of God's wrath after the tribulation, and on the other hand, places it during the tribulation. (Dissertation, 251)

And,

Gundry's arguments vary, depending upon which position he is defending. Some of his arguments are given in defense of the view that divine wrath will be poured out during the latter part of the tribulation and that the church will remain on earth during that time but will receive "shelter" or protection. Other of his arguments defend the view that divine wrath is not poured out until after the tribulation, and that the church will be raptured prior to that outpouring. (Ibid., 252)

Posttribulational Arguments

Posttribulationist Douglas J. Moo

Stanley Gundry edited a book entitled Three Views of the Rapture in which Douglas J. Moo, an advocate of the Posttrib position, lists the main components of this view. Moo writes:

(1) "It is important to recognize that God's people can remain on earth while escaping the wrath." (italics mine) (174)

(2) The Day of the Lord includes the Parousia (the second coming) of Christ, along with the Rapture and the resurrection of the righteous dead. (184)

(3) The nation of Israel and the church are mixed together in the tribulation. Moo writes with double-talk:

What is important ... is to distinguish ... between prophecies directed to Israel as a nation (and which must be fulfilled in a national Israel) and prophecies directed to Israel as the people of God (which can be fulfilled in the people of God--a people that includes the church!). It should be noted that such an approach is not allegorical or nonliteral; it simply calls upon the interpreter to recognize the intended scope of any specific prophecy. It is our contention, then, that the Great Tribulation predicted for Israel by, e.g., Daniel, is directed to Israel as the people of God. It can therefore be fulfilled in the people of God, which includes the church as well as Israel. (Gundry, 207)

(4) In the Posttrib view, imminence no longer is the Blessed Hope of the any-hour return of Christ for His church. Though the doctrine of imminence should not be jettisoned, Moo writes, it simply "expresses the supremely important conviction that the glorious return of Christ could take place within any limited period of time--the next few years." (Gundry, 208)

(5) In the Posttrib position, the contexts of the rapture passages, such as 1 Thessalonians 4, are mixed and mingled with Christ's statements to a future Jewish generation to be watching and waiting for Christ's coming as king, as in Matthew 24-25. This "waiting and watching" for the second coming, the Parousia, is then transferred over to the idea of looking for the coming of the antichrist.

(6) In 2 Thessalonians 2, the Day of the Lord is seen as the Parousia, and also the Rapture of the church. (Gundry, 188)

(7) In 2 Thessalonians 2 "Paul points to ... an indisputably tribulational event, the revelation of the Antichrist, as evidence that the `Day' has not come, surely implies that believers will see it (and the antichrist) when it does occur. (Gundry, 189)

In 1 Thessalonians 5:5-9, Moo writes that the church believers who are in the tribulation can avoid "wrath" judgment by godly living. He says, "Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to live godly lives in order that they might avoid the judgment aspect of the Day [of the Lord]--not that they might avoid the [very] Day itself." (Gundry, 186)

If Moo's teaching on Posttrib is typical of the modern thinking on this doctrine, it is overwhelmingly clear that the greatest error is the confounding and co-mingling of biblical contexts. Context violation can be said to be the hallmark of the view.

Summing up what Moo teaches:

.The Day of the Lord is the rapture and the Parousia of Christ. .Matthew 24-25 is tied to 1 Thessalonians 4 and 2 Thessalonians 2. .The "watching" passages in Matthew 24 are transferred to 2 Thessalonians 2

automatically. .The church is certain to be in the tribulation and is seen together with Israel. .The church will be in the tribulation wrath but will avoid the judgmental aspects by

godly living. .Church believers are to be looking for the antichrist before looking for Christ's

return.

Posttribulationist Bob Gundry [Brother of Stanley Gundry]

In Bob Gundry's book First the Antichrist (Baker, 1997 ), he writes,

So first the Antichrist. Only then the Christ. First the tribulation. Only then the Day of the Lord. Christians aren't in the dark. They won't be surprised by the Day of the Lord, the coming of Christ. They'll know ahead of time that the Antichrist's rebellion and revelation signal its nearness. (22)

While Bob Gundry commits what I consider a multitude of errors in his Posttrib views, I have isolated three that I consider violate good hermeneutical principles. These violations have to do with two passages of Scripture, and a specific conclusion he rides without letup in his book.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-6. Paul reminds this church,

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, `Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

Bob Gundry agrees with the Pretrib view that the "they" who claim peace and safety are the unbelievers. But he then reasons that the church will go into this day of wrath but believers will be more informed. This terrible day will overtake the church, but not overtake believers as a thief! (v. 4).

Why will it not overtake the church as a thief? Gundry answers: because Paul told the Thessalonian church when he was with them that the Day of the Lord "won't arrive unless that evil figure `is revealed.'" (20)

Gundry just pulled a switch on the reader of his book! He suddenly is arguing that the Day of the Lord comes at the end of the tribulation, therefore, the church will go through the tribulation and also see the antichrist.

Bob Gundry says Christians "'are not in darkness'" simply because they know the times and seasons. "They already know whose coming (the antichrist's) has to precede the Lord's coming," Gundry writes. (20)

In answering Bob Gundry, it is important to understand how Paul begins 1 Thessalonians 5. The Thessalonians did not have to be taught the doctrine of the Day of the Lord. Paul says they know this truth, probably from all of the Old Testament teaching on the subject, and what Paul probably taught them (v. 1). Paul goes on and writes that the Thessalonians are not of darkness (v. 5). He is not referring to their knowledge about

the subject of the Day of the Lord, but the fact that they are of the category of those who are born again, of those who will be delivered by the rapture from the seven-year tribulation period. Paul adds that believers belong to the category of "sons of light and sons of day," not of the category of those who are of the night and live in darkness (v. 5). Believers are urged to live soberly (vs. 6-8) as a moral injunction, but Paul makes no mention that this will keep them from the horrors of tribulation judgment. Paul does not connect this sober living with the idea of being sober in looking for the antichrist, as most Posttribers would argue! This idea is an assumption and a great leap of logic by Gundry and other Posttrib advocates!

Matthew 24. Gundry and all of those who hold to the Posttrib view tie Christ's words to some future generation of Jewish believers, who are indeed in the tribulation, and to the church and "those in Christ." They have somehow plopped the church into the teachings of Christ to the Jews and to His Jewish disciples. In the Olivet Discourse that reveals the tribulation and the second coming of Christ, "Of that day and hour [of the Parousia] no one knows" (Matt. 24:36), the Posttribers apply to the church and to Christians. "The elect" (v. 22) are called church saints with no thought for the contextual setting that is definitely Jewish, and with Jesus answering Jewish questions and issues!

Gundry will argue: when the Messiah, the Son of Man, comes to earth, and is mourned by all the tribes of the earth, the "gathering together His elect" (vs. 30-31) is the rapture of church saints.

The allusion to the antichrist (Daniel's Abomination of Desolation) in verse 15, Gundry says will be witnessed by church believers passing through the seven-year tribulation. Gundry without hesitation transports Olivet Discourse verses directly to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and argues that the church will see the antichrist doing his evil deeds.

The problem again is context, context, context! Most Posttribers cross over without hesitation from one context to another, ignoring sound observation of what is really going on in the passages of Scripture. They usually fail to ask what, why, who, where, and when.

Paul tells Christians to be watching for the antichrist. So says Bob Gundry! This becomes his compelling point: "Christians are instructed to watch for the coming of the Day of the Lord and the prior revelation of the antichrist." Gundry writes:

The Apostle Paul tells Christians in the church at Thessalonica, Greece, that they should be watchful for the coming of "the Day of the Lord" (1 Thess. 5:1-11, especially verse 6: "Therefore, then, let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us watch and stay sober"). ... Paul has just described "the coming of the Lord," which includes a catching up, or rapture, of Christians "to meet the Lord in the air" as he descends (1 Thess. 4:16-17). So the Day of the Lord can't arrive till after the rebellion that Antichrist will lead during the tribulation. ... Yet Christians are supposed to watch for that posttribulational day. (Gundry, 19, 21)

Gundry purposely misses the point here in 1 Thessalonians 5. He argues that "watch and stay sober" (v. 6) must have an object, and that object is the coming of the antichrist. But Paul has in mind a moral and spiritual "awake-ness." He reminds believers that they are of the category of the saved, of those who are "sons of light and sons of day" (v. 5). Paul is referring to a spiritual mandate and a spiritual and moral walk. The apostle continues and describes the unsaved who sleep in the night and "who get drunk at night" (v. 7). He further argues that to be sober is to put on the "breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation" (v. 8). Paul nevers says this is a call to be looking for the antichrist. This "salvation" ("sotarias") here in context should be translated deliverance, rescue. In my opinion, spiritual salvation is not in view, but instead Paul has in mind the deliverance through the pretribulational rapture of the church:

"For God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining salvation (deliverance) through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 1:9). The Lord has not destined us "into ("eis") wrath" (v. 9), but "out from ("ek") the wrath on its way" (1:10). 1:10 can best be translated: "to be waiting for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who will be delivering us ("ruomai," dragging away as from danger) out from the wrath that is on its way."

Coming back to 5:6, what could the believers be alert and watching for? The answer seems to be found in 1:10. They are to be waiting for God's Son from heaven!

But from all of these verses, Gundry tries desperately to build his scenario that Paul is urges believers to be watching for the coming of the antichrist. He writes:

.The Day of the Lord [is] an object of Christians' watching. (29) .The new topic is Christians to be watchful for the Day of the Lord. (30) .Christians watchfulness doesn't begin till after the tribulation. (39) .Paul is telling Christians to watch for the coming of the Day of the Lord. (46)

Most respected commentators do not agree with Gundry. They see the expression to be sober in a spiritual-moral sense, not in the sense of being soberly awaiting when the Day of the Lord comes, and the antichrist shows up. For example, note what some Greek scholars say about the words let us not sleep, be alert and sober in 1 Thessalonians 5:6:

.Christians are summoned to live up their privileges and positions toward the Lord. (Nicoll)

.Ethical restraint is in view. (Wanamaker) .Sleeping shows indifference to spiritual realities in view. (Ritchie) .Being awake means "to be calm, sober-minded." (Robertson) ."Don't go into a spiritual slumber, stay awake as to what is happening

around you, and don't lose your spiritual senses in a world of darkness, because you really belong to the day and not to the night." (Couch) .Believers escape God's wrath whether they are watchful or not (1:10). This is a powerful argument for a pretribulational Rapture. (Constable, BKC) .Self-control, control themselves. (Millagan)

.Freedom from intoxicants, alertness, stability. (Vine) .Paul is eager to share with his disciples the responsibilities entailed [in]

Christian privileges. (Lightfoot)

Bob Gundry is consumed with the idea that Paul is telling believers to be "watchful" for the antichrist and the Day of the Lord. He argues "watchfulness and sobriety in view of what? The coming of the Day of the Lord." (30) This argument is not supportable from the full context of what Paul is trying to say.

Gundry has to jump back to Matthew 24, the Olivet Discourse, and argue that the generation Jesus was speaking was both a future Jewish generation, but also a final generation of those in the church age, who would see "the Abomination of Desolation," i.e., the desecration of the antichrist in the temple (v. 15). It is true this context indicates the passage is referring to a future generation of Jews in the tribulation who will see these events take place in a rebuilt temple. But again, the passage is silent about the dispensation of the church age. Since the actual, historic figure of the antichrist did not come to the temple in 70 AD, the words of Jesus, and of Paul, point to some far future event. None of the verses in the Olivet Discourse or the Thessalonian letters say the church believers will see this prophecy coming to pass.

Bob Gundry cites many other arguments that I consider extremely weak, and even some that are intellectually dishonest.

He says that since the words "saints," "witnesses," and "servants" are used in Acts and Paul's epistles, when these words are used in the body of the book of Revelation, from chapters seven and on, they must be referring to the church.(85) Again, the hermeneutical principle of context is tossed out the window. These words are used frequently in the Old Testament. Should we apply these expressions to the church, in the Old Testament?

In those Old Testament verses it is said to the Jewish people, "Fear the Lord, you His saints" (Ps. 34:9), and "You are My witnesses" (Isa. 43:10), and then, "Israel, My servant" (41:8). Are these words truly describing the church in the Old Testament? While these words represent great spiritual principles that we can appreciate in their Old Testament setting, are they technical terms applied here to indicate church believers?

What would Gundry say about these words used in the Mosaic Law dispensation? These are good and valid words. However, because they are used in the Old Testament, this does indicate that "the church" is there! But this is the kind of reasoning Gundry uses to say the church is in the book of Revelation, and in the Olivet Discourse in the Gospels.

Gundry also uses a cold and dried up argument against the pretibulational rapture. Some older dispensationalists used Revelation 4:1 to say John's going up to heaven is symbolic of the rapture of the church. (84) Gundry sets this argument up as a straw man, and then sets out to knock it down. (I personally never heard of this argument until I read his book. I would not lean on this verse to support a pretribulational rapture.)

An Examination of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

It is not the purpose of this paper to deal with 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12. I believe this section of verses is about the second coming of the Lord Jesus. A paper needs to be presented on this because I believe there are some issues that should be addressed from our premillennial and dispensational viewpoint. So I will confine my attention to 2:1-12

only. (Some of the material below comes from my Thessalonian commentary The Hope of Christ's Return [AMG Publishers]. However, many new comments on these verses have been added.)

The Outline. Paul's Doctrinal Concern About the Day of the Lord (2:1-17)

A. "The Misunderstanding" (2:1-3) B. The Man of Lawlessness Described (2:4) C. The "Reminder" (2:5) D. The Restraining of the Antichrist (2:6-9) E. The Judgment of the Wicked (2:10-12)

A. "The Misunderstanding" (2:1-3)

The Thessalonians had received the clear teaching about the Lord's coming in the rapture. They were blessed by this teaching, as the apostle had reminded them in 1 Thessalonians 1:10. Their hearts and minds had been greatly encouraged by this blessed hope. Paul had taught them this truth when he was with them. In addition, they were told they would not undergo the day of the Lord, the wrath: "Jesus, the Deliverer (the One who snatches) us away from the wrath that is on its way" (1:10), and "For God has not destined us for wrath" (5:9).

The apostle Paul calms the emotions of the new converts (1) by explaining that they are not in the day of the Lord, (2) by showing that the man of sin must also first be revealed, and (3) by using the certainty of the rapture (as described in 1 Thessalonians) as the basis for removing their doubts. Paul's purpose will be to show that grace will operate before judgment; the rapture will take place before that "dreaded day." He states the truth with warmth, affection, and the assurance of the first verse, "our gathering together to Him."

2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,

Now. With now (de) the apostle radically changes the subject from chapter 1. "He now turns aside (de) to correct any mistakes which his mention of this day may have occasioned, to calm any feverish desires which it may have excited." (Lightfoot) De is "used to connect one clause with another when it is felt that there is some contrast between them" (BAG)

The apostle now moves from discussing the second coming of Christ for judgment, and the glory He will bring in regard to His saints, to the issue of the rapture again. The now (de) has him moving back to the rapture issue he dealt so completely with in 1 Thessalonians, but from that epistle, he wants to bring something back up he had previously discussed. A. T. Robertson would probably point to the emphatic, intensive meaning of de. The word causes the readers to re-focus: Touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (A. T. Robertson) With de "the apostle thus passes to [his] main theme of the epistle." (Vine) The opening of the verse could read Now I really want to bring something else up I've discussed before!

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download